Is there any evidence that Darwin died as Christian?
I saw this claim being brought up several times, but I never saw conclusive evidence for this claim. So my questions are - did Darwin convert to Christianity toward the end of his life, and if so did he die as a creationist? More importantly - why and how does that effect the theory of evolution and why we should believe in it?
Some people really believe that Darwin's personal views are important compared to scientific facts. I created this topic so that they can tell us why we should trust Darwins personal views more than those facts. And I want to see basis for the xlaim that Charles died as christian.
Re: Is there any evidence that Darwin died as Christian?
Rumors of deathbed conversions are insanely popular in our cultural rumor mill, because it allows us to call into question revered figures in any tradition, thus bolstering our own worldview.
I hadn't heard the Darwin one, but I've heard about a dozen others, and Darwin's inclusion is hardly surprising.
The religious crowd isn't solely responsible for this phenomenon, granted. I've actually heard this about religious adherents too (Aquinas, for one). They're just as vacuous. So this isn't a skeptical slap on the wrist to religious people perpetuating these unsubstantiated claims; it's more a slap on the wrist to the practice in general.
And to perhaps address your question another way: F*** Darwin's personal views. His contribution to science is why he has a legacy, and those results are verifiable. Musings on his opinion at a specific point in his life are not.
I realize this post is likely with tongue in cheek, but I've seen it used seriously. It seems disingenuous, and reveals more about the person saying it than any historical figure they're talking about, as though to them, faking belief or doing it "just in case" to make sure they get to heaven is a valid, moral goal. I'd like to think that if their God does exist, cheap tricks like this wouldn't work on a supposedly omniscient being, and that doesn't even dig into how flatly evil and self-serving it seems to me.
Most people realize this whether they admit it or not, though, which is further reason to ignore claims of deathbed conversion.
I think it was either Dakwins or Harris who said that he'll request a recorder by his bed to prevent rumours of last minute revelations because it's getting really annoying.
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Azula: My mommy didn't love me so I'm going to burn down your village.
Dawkins, I think. I've seen that crew discuss it a couple times, usually with a bemused tone. Dan Dennett once joked to Dawkins that if he ever fell on hard times, a "sudden conversion" could yield him a huge financial windfall from religious organizations. But whether or not they actually have the recorder, they're familiar with the deathbed nonsense that we allow to spread. I don't doubt we'll see such claims after they die; though, surprisingly, I don't remember any for Hitchens, so maybe that's a good sign (or maybe I just missed them).
KMC Community Forums
Oct 30th, 2017 07:29 PM
@the rest of your post, though.
